JazzArt Award winner Stevko Busch and Boy-Edgar-prize winner Paul van Kemenade have known each other since 1995, when they met in the “Contraband” of the Dutch trombonist and co-founder of the Amsterdam Bimhuis Willem van Manen. Occasional concerts have always left players – and public – asking for more… Since then the musicians have developped their interplay into a sound of its own character – often honored by the audience with astonishment and warm reactions, recently on the Berlin JazzFest 2010, the North Sea Jazzfestival 2011 and in the Amsterdam Bimhuis september 2011.

Now you can listen to one of the most experienced living Dutch saxophonists with his strength of musical conviction and wide dynamic range – in dialogue with a German and Amsterdam-based pianist who developed his individualistic style after working with improviser Misha Mengelberg. There are influences from both South African and ancient Russian melody in this music, which breathes a quiet and soulful atmosphere of contemplation, often coloured with blue elements. Here are songlike pieces without large gestures, strong in their simplicity, but also dynamic rhythms and brilliantly intense improvisation.

The recordings titled “CONTEMPLATION” are released on CD (DNL2010) in April 2010.

Reviews

“…Dutch-German saxophone-piano duo Paul Van Kemenade and Stevko Busch are as international in their outlook as they are in their origins, drawing on influences from ancient Russian liturgical chants and European folksong to the South African jazz hymns of Abdullah Ibrahim. Their approach can be tough and uncompromising but also very intimate, as best illustrated by the dancing Picking Cranberries’ development through some thunderous piano figures and fiercely honking alto into what sounded like a show tune, played with great charm and tenderness. Much of what they do has a very spontaneous feel but there’s always a sense of structure at the music’s heart and the soft murmuring of Van Kemenade’s saxophone over Busch’s rippling appropriation of Abdullah Ibrahim’s piano style on the final number was as lovely as For Russia With Love’s blend of tart alto explorations and a Soft Machine-like piano ostinato was exciting and invigorating…” Heraldscotland (july 1, 2013) Rob Adams

“… moments of creative intimacy enthralled audiences, as those for example created by alto saxophonist Paul van Kemenade in a duo with pianist Stevko Busch. … In actual fact these were the European moments that Nils Landgren would have hoped for, moments that were unspectacular yet inspired, rooted in tradition yet humorously individual….” Süddeutsche Zeitung 11/11/2010 on the Berlin Jazz Festival.

This page is having a slideshow that uses Javascript. Your browser either doesn't support Javascript or you have it turned off. To see this page as it is meant to appear please use a Javascript enabled browser.